Washboard



Sept. 22, 1942.V s. sTElNMETz ErAL WAS HBOARD Filed Feb. 24, 1946 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1942 U NililT E D STAT ES WASHBOARD Samuel Steinmetz and! Isaac S'c'hile,

Bridgeport, Conn;

Application February 24, 194i), Serial No. 320,545"

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improvement in washboards, and has for an object to provide: a washboard having improved rubbing surfaces formed from relatively soft flexible material, as distinguished from the rigid surfaces of the usual type ofwashboard formed of metal, glass or the like. It is particularly proposed to provide a rubbing surface consisting of rows of flap like tongues formed of a flexible resilient material, the effect of which is to have a beating or slapping, grinding and squeezing action upon the material being washed and with a minimum of abrasive action. A further object is to provide a washboard having rubbing surfaces-at each side formed from the same material, but having difi ferent characteristics, the projecting tongues at one side being relatively wider than the tongues of the other side and intendedfor rough or preliminary rubbing of the material being washed,

or for the rubbing of coarse materials, and projecting tongues at the other side being relatively narrow obtaining a liner action and foi1 the rubbing of delicate materials.

Another object is to provide a washboard which may be constructed of relatively inexpensivemav i terial and by economical manufacturing methods, the same consisting mainly of wood and fabric; in the form of flexible resilient strips, which may consist of sheet rubber or of rubberized fabric. In the latter case the fabric is preferably of a type consisting of a relatively coarse woven base; as for instance duck or canvas, impregnated andz coated with rubber, and in forming the strips this material is cut on the bias, so as to prevent' ravelling and so as to provide upon the out edges a series of thread ends which will produce an effective non-abrasive dirt removing rubbing surface for contact with the material being washed. This rubberized material is similar to that employed in tire making, and may in fact be reclaimed from used tires.

Another object is to provide an improved assembly by means of which the fabric strips will be permanently retained in place, irrespective of swelling or shrinkage of the wood frame.

A further object is to provide improved soap retaining means by which a cake of soap may be' secured at either side of the board.

With the above and other objects in View', an embodiment of the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment' will" be hereinafter more fully described with referencel thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:

eachof the side members II).

Fig. 1l is afrontelevation of a washboard; ac`` cording to the exemplary illustrated embodiment ofthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an inside elevation of one of the upright side or leg members of the board.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the transverse cap strip.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the cap strip.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary enlarged'plan View of one of the supporting bars making up the rubbing surface and having the flexible rubbing strip element secured upon its top surface.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 9 is an end View.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View, showing the manner in which the tongues of the rubbing elements are adapted to have differential flexing movement as the material being washed is rubbed in engagement therewith.

Fig. l1 is la fragmentary sectional view showing' a modified arrangement in which a plurality of superimposed flexible strip members is secured to each supporting bar.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the washboard, ac cording to the exemplary embodiment of the invention; consists of a pair of side or leg members IIJ-IIJ, each provided at its inner side with a longitudinal groove II extending from its upper endto a point spaced from the lower end which determines the lower end of the scrubbing surface, there being a rectangular mortise slot I2 provided in the lower end of the slot, which is slightly narrower than the slot in order to provide abutment shoulders for the tennon ends I3 of the lower or base bar I4 of the rubbing surface, the thickness of this bar being such as to fit at its ends snugly in the groove II of the side members, and upon the upper surface ofthe bar I4 and on each of the bars I5 there is secured the flexible rubbing strip element, as will presently more fully appear. Above the rubbing surface there is provided a rectangular soap board I6 fitted at its ends in the grooves Il of the side members and tted atV its upper edge in a longitudinal groove I1 of the transverse cap strip I8, which is provided at each of its ends with a dovetail slot I9, in which is interlockingly engaged a dovetail tongue 20 formed upon the upper end of As shown clearly in Figs. 7 to 9 the flexible rubbing strip element consists of a strip of rubberized fabric 2| provided along one marginal edge with a series of tongues 22 formed by a series of parallel cuts 23, and upon the other marginal edge there is provided a series of tongues 22a formed by cuts 23a, these latter cuts being closer together than the cuts 23, so .that the tongues 22a are narrower than the tongues 22, and in the assembled board constitute a relatively fine rubbing surface as distinguished from the relatively coarse rubbing surface provided by the tongues 22.

The intermediate portion of the strip is solid and is engaged upon the upper surface of the bar I5, and is secured thereto by a series of nails 24 which permanently fasten the strip to the individual bar I5 so that in the assembled board the strip will remain fixed irrespective of swelling or shrinkage of the wood frame. The lowermost strip 2| is similarly secured by nails 24 to the base bar I4.

The tongues at each side may be projected t any desired degree depending upon the particular type of rubbing surface required. Thus for instance, the relative wide coarse tongues 22 are shown as projected to a slightly greater degree than the relatively narrow ner tongues 22a. While the strip 2| is shown as formed of rubberized fabric, it will be understood that it can be formed from sheet rubber, or any other suitable material which is flexible and which has resiliency so as to have a substantially similar co-action with the material being washed as it is rubbed against it. In the case of rubberized fabric it will preferably be formed of coarse woven material such as duck or canvas impregnated and coated with rubber, and as shown clearly in ligs. 7 and 8, this is cut on the bias so that the warp and weft threads are diagonally disposed. Consequently there is no tendency to unravel, and the ends of both the warp and weft threads ZIB' are exposed along bot-h the outer and side edges of each of the tongues, for a purpose which will presently more fully appear.

In manufacturing and assembling the board the flexible rubbing strips 2| are rst nailed to the base bar I4 and the bars I5, and thereupon the strip I4 is engaged at one of its tennon ends in the mortise slot t3 of one of the side members, the bars I5 are fitted into the groove of the same side member, the soap board I6 is fitted in place in the groove II above the bars I5, and the cap strip I8 is engaged with the upper edge of the board I 6 and has its dovetail groove I9 at one end slid into interlocking engagement with the dovetail tongue 2i] of the side member. The other side member iii is then engaged with the assembled bars I4 and E5, the board I6 and the cap strip I3. The board is thereupon permanently secured in assembled relation by nails -25 driven through the dovetail joints connecting the upper ends of the side members and the cap strip IB, nails 25-26 driven through the side members I0 and the lower corners of the soap board I5, nails .2T-21 driven through the side members I!) and the ends of the bar I5 disposed substantially midway of the rubbing surface, and nails 28-28 driven through the-side members IB and the tennoned ends of the base bar I4.

The soap board I6 is provided with a soap retaining strap 29 which may be formed from the same material as the strips 2|, this strap having its ends set in recess pockets 30-30, cut in the opposite sides of one of the side members I0, and secured by nails 3|-3|, and extending at its intermediate portion through a rectangular slot 32 cut in the soap board IG. The thickness of the strap and the size of the slot 32 is such that there is frictional engagement between them which with the inherent resiliency of the strap tends to retain it in any position to which it is pulled in the slot. As shown clearly in Figs. l, 2 and 3, a cake of soap 33 may be retained at either side of the board by engaging it within the loop of the strap and pulling the strap at the other side, the strap being thus tightened against the soap where it is frictionally held by the engagement of the strap in the slot 32. The lower end of the soap may rest upon the projecting tongues of the uppermost strip 2| of the rubbing surface.

In Fig. 1l I have shown a modication in which the rubbing surface may be made up by securing a plurality of strips 2| upon each of the bars I5, the illustration showing two such strips. As will be obvious more than two strips may be employed, and if desired one of the strips may have tongues of different width than the other strip and the cuts between the tongues may be staggered. Also one of the strips may be cut with tongues projecting at one side only, so that at one side of the board there will be rows of double tongues while at the other side there will be rows of single tongues. In this way the difference in the rubbing characteristics of the strips at each side of the board may be designed so as to provide widely varying effects.

In operation the material being washed is rubbed upon the rubbing surface consisting of rows of relatively small flexible tongues, and as shown in Fig. 10 these tongues have a differential action depending upon the degree of pressure exerted upon any particular point, the tongue which is pressed hardest being deflected toward the surface of the board to the greatest extent and the tongues successively contiguous thereto being deected to dierent degrees. Thus the adjacent tongues will have the side surfaces exposed and as the material is moved and the tongues tend to resume their flat projected position shown by the dot-and-dash lines, the resiliency of the material of the tongues will cause them to assume their natural projected position with a greater or less beating or slapping action, the tongues which are deflected to the greatest extent hitting with the greatest force. Thus the material is subject to the effect of being beaten or slapped by the numerous tongue surfaces. Also at the same time the adjacent side edges of the tongues due to their differential deflection have a scissor-like grinding action which tends to twist the material being washed and agitate and loosen the dirt therein, and this in combination with the beating or slapping action and the non-abrasive rubbing action of the thread ends 2|a, which have the effect of numerous closely arranged minute brushes, eilectuaily removes the dirt through a very active material manipulation and massaging eiect produced by the tongues as they are depressed and spring back to their normal projected positions. The material is thus cleaned thoroughly and rapidly, and with a minimum of manual rubbing eiiort and abrasive wearing action. The diiierential act-ion of the spring tongues also has the effect of quick lathering as the soap .is rubbed upon the board.

We have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a Washboard, the combination with a base comprising a series of rigid bars arranged in parallel relation and having slots between them and side members respectively engaged with the ends of said bars to secure them in a parallel relation, of a series of flexible strips each having parallel longitudinal edges and being formed of rubber encased woven fabric having the fabric threads bias to said longitudinal edges and each comprising a continuous attaching portion engaged in said slots and secured to said bars yand a margnal portion projected from said bars at one side and having a series of transverse cuts extending from the outer projected edge inwardly in the direction of said continuous portion and forming a series of contiguous flexible tongues.

SAMUEL STEINMETZ. ISAAC E. SCHINE. 

